Title: Mommy Bones
Summery: Vivian and Diana reach an understanding, Hodgins relieves his conscience, Zack gets a roommate, Angela celebrates and realizes, Booth and Bones parent.
Disclaimer: I don't own 'em! You can't prove anything!
Author's Notes: New chapter! Yeah! I received a few urging reviews, and having purchased a net to assist in my capturing of those MIA bunnies, I'm back in business. Hopefully. I need a better plot bunny cage.
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It had been three days. Three days since her crummy interview. Three days since she had been at the Jeffersonian. Three days since she'd been at Wong Foos. Three days since she had kissed Hodgins. Three days since she had seen Zack, taking swabs with his tongue. Three days since she had told him they were just friends.
But she had spoken to Diana. She had stopped at a large, brightly lit Starbucks chain store, and confused the boy behind the counter by asking for a simple coffee with cream and a little sugar.
"That's it?" He asked, pouring the steaming brew.
"That's it," She replied, accepting the paper cup and handing him the money. He nodded, and turned away to put her order through the register. Vivian tapped the toe of her shoe on the carpeted floor in time to the soft rock song crooning from a radio in one of the room's corners. She turned to grab a stir stick just in time to hear another patron's long and involved order.
It had been the quick blur of purple that had drawn her to take another look. There she spotted the purple haired, eyebrow ringed, swapping spit with her Zack, Diana. Trying to be inconspicuous, and not to be noticed, she accepted her change from the cashier, and tried to slip away. But she didn't make a clean getaway.
"Excuse me!" She heard someone call behind her. She kept going, hoping it wasn't directed at her. Outside the shop, the slap of sneakers on the sidewalk brought Diana up parallel beside her, "Excuse me, don't I know you?"
Vivian exhaled hard, covering her annoyance by a taking a long pull from her insulated paper cup, "Yeah, I think so," She replied, swallowing. She would like nothing more than to escape without engaging the other woman (pun unintended) in conversation, but she also wanted to know what drew Zack to her, or vise versa. That part made her stay put and answer in the affirmative.
"I thought you looked familiar," Diana smiled, wiping a bit of foam from her upper lip, "You were the woman from the museum, the one that sorta, um, walked in," Her face turned a bright red shade, as she ducked and hide her embarrassment behind her cup.
Vivian nodded, "That was me," Stifling another sigh, she wouldn't let herself hide behind her own cup, "Sorry about that."
Diana waved a hand of indifference, "Oh, it doesn't matter," Something in her face changed, and she looked nerve ridden again, "I don't mean to pry, but there wasn't, like, anything between you and Zack? Because I totally would not want to overstep-"
Vivian interrupted, shaking her head wildly, "No, no, Zack and I are just friends," She reassured. There I go again, she thought, telling more lies. My nose is gonna start to sprout.
"Really?" Diana looked relieved, "Because I would never want to, you know, get in the way."
"Really, we just met pretty recently," Vivian mentally kicked herself for not being able to keep her mouth shut, but when she grew nervous, she seemed to ramble, "I'm new in town. And my brother knows Zack from work, so that's how I met him."
"Oh, cool," Vivian had begun walking again, and Diana fell into step beside her, "Who's your brother? Maybe I know him."
"Maybe," Vivian flipped her hair back over her shoulder, keeping it out of her drink.
"Ooo, let me guess," Diana pulled a few strands of her own hair from the foamy concoction she was drinking, "He works with Doctor Brennan and her team right? Jack Hodgins?"
"No!" Vivian firmly replied. She was enjoying the game, "He's not from the lab, but he spends a lot of time there. "
Diana inspected her companion's face closely, she could see a resemblance, but she couldn't tell who, "Um, hmmm, works with Zack, but isn't Hodgins. Not from the lab, but spends a lot of time there," She was drawing a blank.
Vivian doled out other clues; "He always wears suits, and a belt buckle with a eagle on it. He flashes a badge around, Bren goes out with him to look for suspects."
Recognition flashed in Diana's eyes, "No way! Booth!" She stopped on the sidewalk, and again peered closely at Viv's face, "Booth is your brother?" After a moment of intense scrutiny, she nodded, "Yup, I can see the resemblance."
"You can?" Vivian drained the last few sips from her cup, and then tossed it into a nearby trashcan, "You've got foam on your nose."
Diana scrunched her nose and glanced at herself in a storefront window. Sure enough, a glob of foam clung to the tip of her nose. She tried to wipe it away with her hand, only succeeding in spreading it over her nose, Vivian giggling behind her. Diana crossed her eyes at Vivian in the window, and scrubbed the foam away with the edge of her sleeve. Satisfied that it was gone, she turned and chucked the now empty cup in the garbage.
They continued to walk along the sidewalk, neither of them really having a destination in mind. Vivian was surprised to discover how much she enjoyed Diana's company. As they wandered, there were little things she learned that made her like Diana more than at first she wanted to. Diana liked to speak her mind, and it didn't bother her when people didn't like it. She had a soft side too, that had them making faces at the puppies in the window of a pet store and flattening their fingers on the glass. At one point in the stroll, Diana glanced down at Vivian's feet and exclaimed, "Are those Chucks?"
Vivian looked down at her feet, shod in pink high toped Chuck Taylors, the toes scuffed and the laces grungy, "Yeah, I've had'em for years."
"I lived in a pair of those when I was in high school," Diana grinned, "Purple ones."
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"Okay little man, go park your gear in your room," Booth ordered, and the towheaded four-year-old flew from the room, his backpack draped over his arm. Booth dropped onto the couch, preparing for the reentrance of his son, rehearsing how he was going to explain the situation in a way a four-year-old would understand. It would be difficult. Bones had gone to work that morning, promising she'd be home early. He wasn't sure how that would go. She could get caught up in her work and forget.
"Daddy, will you read me and Mr. Whiskers a 'tory?" Parker clambered up onto the sofa beside his father, clutching a stuffed cat that'd seen better days and a Doctor Seuss book
"Sure ace," Booth took the book from his son, reading the title to himself. Horton Hears A Who. He grinned, he had given Parker this one, "But first, Daddy's gotta tell you something okay? I need you to listen real close, 'cause it's important that you understand."
Big eyes were transfixed on his face, and the toddler solemnly nodded, " 'Kay Daddy."
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That afternoon, Tempe had been focused on keeping her promise to Booth. She had delegated more work than usual, on the premise that her staff needed the practice, even avoided checking her email, sure she would be drawn into some student's plea for her opinion, or a push from her editor. Zack had called her out to inspect a body brought in from the Civil War, and she had shocked all on lookers by telling him, "I just want to finish up the preliminary tonight and go home."
Zack's jaw had dropped open, and required assistance in closing it. Never had his suggestion of delving straight into work been met with a 'tomorrow' response. It had always been a 'get right on it, and hurry.'
Angela, standing behind Tempe, where she wouldn't be seen, pumped triumphant arms in the air, an all-encompassing smile on her face. This was something she had been waiting for. To hear Bren say that work could wait until tomorrow was a milestone in her mission. She could barely stave off the urge to indulge in the happy dance. The strangest thought came to her; she couldn't wait to tell Hodgins. She shook her head, confused by the sudden urge to seek out the bug man and relate the previously witnessed experience.
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"I have two mommies now?" Parker asked cautiously.
Booth nodded reluctantly, "Sort of. There's your mommy, and then there's Bones," Calling Bones Bones was such a standard, and they hadn't decided on what Parker should call her, they hadn't thought of it. At least he hadn't. And if she had, Bones hadn't mentioned it.
The child seemed to consider it, "But she'll play with me, and come to the park, and read with me, right?" Clearly he was trying to figure out his situation. He held Mr. Whiskers close, little hands closed over the cat's paws.
"That's right Parks," Booth ruffled his son's blonde hair, "But she's going to live here with Daddy."
"How come I can't live wit you?" The little boy's eyes were so earnest; it tore Booth's heart in two. All he wanted to do was promise his son that he could live with him and Bones forever, but he couldn't. It wouldn't be fair, to him or to Parker.
"Because ace," Booth settled him tight against his side, an arm anchoring him there, "Your mommy wants you to live with her, she wants to see you too. She loves you so much."
"Don't you?" As Parker asked, Booth nearly crumbled. His responses were on autopilot,
"Of course I do," Booth hugged the boy tight, squeezing him intermittently, "I love you more than the stars in the sky. And so does your mommy. And we both want you to live with us, but we have to share you."
"Me too Daddy," The boy locked small arms around his father's neck, clutching as hard as he could, "More dan the 'tars."
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"Hey Curly."
Vivian perched on the stool beside his, her jacket spread across her lap, fingers nervously flicking the tag at the collar.
"Hey," Hodgins replied, just as nervously, "What's up?" They were both awkward. Hodgins was trying to think of a delicate way to broach the subject of the kiss, but so far, could think of nothing.
Vivian shrugged one shoulder, "I got the job," She said offhandedly. She had received the phone call not two hours before. After thanking the woman on the line, and getting a few particulars, she had hung up, practically bouncing around her hotel room. She'd tossed the phone onto bed, unable to hold in her excitement. Her hands clenched and her stomach did the same. Flopping onto the bed, she'd buried her face in a pillow and let the pent up enthusiasm flow. Her next move had been a expeditious call to Seeley. Parker had answered the phone, announcing Daddy was making him dinner. After a few moments of babbling, and a promise to play with him in the park within the next few days, he'd handed off the phone to Daddy, who'd been almost as happy as she was. They'd promised to celebrate the next day, meeting at the park (thus fulfilling her promise to Parker). His last words had been, "I'm so proud of you kiddo."
They had left her with a bit of an empty feeling, despite all the energy. That was such a dad thing to say. But he wasn't hers, and neither would her father ever offer such a compliment.
"That's great!" Hodgins grinned big, his voice pulling her back, "That's awesome!"
"Yeah," Vivian grew a smile of her own, "I just got the call this afternoon."
They both hedged around the issue that was hanging over them, talking about safe subjects; Viv moving to DC permanently, how many kids used the center, how much work it would be, what she would be doing exactly. In a lull in the conversation, unable to restrain herself, Vivian blurted out,
"So, are we cool?" She couldn't stand to sit and make pleasant conversation about nothing anymore, the both of them acting as if nothing was wrong. It was churning inside of her, wondering how he had reacted to it, what he was thinking. She had had the past few days to organize her thoughts, and was praying she didn't sound like an idiot when they came out.
"Yeah," Hodgins nodded, "That kiss, I mean," He stopped, not sure how to say it. It had been an impulse kiss, something he had done on the spur of the moment. He didn't regret it, but it didn't invoke the kind of feeling that had him burning to do it again.
"It was hot, but," Vivian exhaled hard, "I didn't-"
"No, me neither," Hodgins jumped to agree.
"So, we're good?" Vivian offered half a grin, to which Hodgins supplied the other half,
"We're good," They both breathed a sigh of relief.
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Temperance arrived home to the smell of something simmering on the stove, the sound of the joyous shouts of a child. She dumped her bag on the floor, remembering to hang her coat in the closet, and headed towards the sounds and smells. She arrived in the kitchen, to find Booth stirring something in a pot, Parker poised on a chair, assisting.
"Hey boys," She called, causing Booth to glance up, and Parker to spin on his chair. She crossed the room to them, and pecked Booth's cheek.
"Mommy Bones!" Parker screeched, reaching out grubby hands to her, "Daddy's makin' pasgetti," He announced, a streak of tomato on his cheek indicating he'd all ready sampled it.
"Is he now?" Unconsciously, she grabbed a napkin from the holder on the microwave and wiped the little boy's face.
Her eyes connected with Booth's over the child's head. Setting the spoon he was using to stir the sauce on the counter, he sent Parker off to wash his hands for dinner. Then he'd reached for Tempe.
He pulled her in for a deep, thorough kiss, then, lifting his head, he asked as if he hadn't just made her knees buckle, "How was work?"
"Fine," She looped her arms around his neck, "We got in a new skeleton from the Civil War that I'm supposed to identify. I told Zack we'd clean the bones tomorrow and see if there were any abnormal striations or ligatures on the bones."
Booth nodded, "Sounds fun," He joked, tickling her. Tempe wiggled in his arms to evade his fingers, but only succeeded in tightening herself against him. Curious, she asked,
"Was it your idea?"
"My idea to what? I wasn't even at work today, how could I tell Zack what to look for on the bones?"
"No, not that," Her fingers began tapping lightly on the back of his neck, "For Parker to call me that."
"What? Mommy Bones?" He chuckled as the words past his lips, "No, but you have to admit, it is quite catchy. Inventive too," The chuckle expanded as she glared at him.
"You don't think it'll confuse him?" Even though there was no way she wanted to cause the anger of and perhaps another visit from Rebecca Hardgraves, her reasons for asking weren't entirely selfish, "Anthropologically speaking, in history, most children only had one mother."
"True," He acknowledged her reservations with a dip of his head, "But now it's pretty common for a kid to have more than two parents," She still looked doubtful, and he rushed to reassure her, "He's not confused, I explained that now he has two mommies. He seemed cool with it," Leaning in so he could feel her breath on his face, he added, "Besides the Bones part is definitely a distinguishing factor."
Comments like that gave her two ideas for reaction. Kick him or kiss him. She chose the latter.
Moments later, a still sudsy four-year-old arrived in the doorway, and proclaimed, "Ewww!"
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"So, now all I have to do is find a place to live," Vivian said, mentally going over her finances, "I can't afford to stay at the hotel any longer." She and Jack still occupied the same stools, but now Zack had joined them.
Hodgins grinned, "Y'know, I'd letcha stay at my place, but I think Booth would hunt me down and hang my head over the mantle."
"I know," Vivian giggled, picturing Hodgins situated between two deer heads over a roaring fire, "He's a bit-"
"Overprotective?" Zack suggested, from his seat on the other side of Viv.
"That's one word for it," Hodgins snorted, catching the elbow aiming for his ribs before it made contact.
"Why don't you stay with Booth and Doctor Brennan?" Zack inquired innocently, "At least until you find a place of your own?"
Viv shook her head, "I wouldn't want to intrude on them playing happy family. Besides, they need the time alone," She exaggerated and drew the word alone out as far as she could.
Zack looked confused for a few minutes, before the light bulb went off, "Ohhh… You think that they're going-" He was cut off by Vivian's hand clamping over his mouth.
"Don't you finish that sentence!" She hissed, shuddering, "I don't wanna think about it! That's like thinking about your parents," She trailed off, unable or unwilling to finish the sentence, "Yuh."
Chuckling, Hodgins had a light bulb of his own. "Hey!"
"Hey what?" Zack asked glad for the subject change. He didn't want to think about his parents either. Ew. Something should just be left alone.
Hodgins squeezed Vivian's arm where it lay on the counter, "Why don't you stay with Zack? His place is too big for just him. You could use a roommate, right Zack?" He swiveled on the stool, peering around Viv to see Zack's reaction.
Zack first, immediate response was YES! And after further deliberations, his response was still YES! Why not? He had the room, two extra bedrooms, and an extra bathroom. And he liked Vivian- a lot. They could- before his thoughts ran away with him, Zack began nodding vigorously,
"Yeah sure," He tried hard to contain his grin, "You should stay with me."
"You're sure?" Vivian asked tentatively. She didn't want him to retract his offer, but she did want them both to be sure of what they were doing. Since she had no idea, she was hoping Zack might have an inkling.
Again, Zack's immediate answer was YES! "Yes, of course I'm sure."
"Come on Viv," Hodgins squeezed her hand again, "If you guys are friends, why should it be a problem?"
He was goading her into this! Viv narrowed her eyes at Hodgins, and then turned to look at Zack. He looked so hopeful and eager to please. The look on his face swayed her.
"Okay, yeah," Vivian agreed, jumping off her stool, and throwing her arms around Zack's neck, "Thank-you Zack!"
Zack was stunned. People, women, didn't abruptly hug him. It took him by surprise, to say the least. The smile by itself had made his limbs go weak again. He was glad he was sitting down. Regaining control of his watery arms, he wrapped them around Viv, preventing her from detaching herself from him. He wasn't able to suppress his grin this time.
Over Zack's shoulder, Vivian peered at Hodgins, before turning her face into Zack's neck. She was entirely too comfortable in this position.
Hodgins felt like clapping his hands together and announcing, "Phase one is complete!" But he kept quiet; He would have to tell Angela of his matchmaking prowess. She would be so proud, he thought excitedly.
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Tempe was sprawled lengthwise across their bed, trying to find a comfortable position. Her back had begun to ache midway through the day and had progressed throughout.
Two strong hands slid up her back, exerting a gentle pressure. Warm puffs of air tickled her neck as he whispered into her ear, "Guess who?"
Giving into a pleasant shiver, she replied teasingly, "I don't know. Who?"
"How's about I show you," He purred. Bringing his hands to her hips, he edged the hem of her shirt up with his thumbs. He pressed a kiss to the small of her back, nibbling and ticking his way up the slope of her spine. He inched the hem up farther, "Know who it is yet?"
Sighing pleasurably, she muttered, "Not yet. I think I need more evidence." She flipped over to lay on her back, her hands finding his sides, smoothing over them.
"How's this for evidence?" He asked, lowering himself on braced forearms. She raised her head, their lips meeting urgently. When she pressed for more, he pulled back, leisurely pecking at the corners of her mouth, her cheeks, and chin. He lifted his head from hers, cast her a blood-pumping grin, then began to dust feather-light kisses from the sensitive spot behind one ear down her neck.
She thrust her hands into his hair, her fingers stroking through it. The things he did to her, she thought contentedly. She trailed her nails down his neck, over his shoulders and back, imprinting crescent shapes in the smooth cotton of his undershirt. There was a slight slip in the continuous pressure of his mouth on her collarbone as her fingers slipped beneath his waistband. She smiled, liking what she could do to him.
"I think I know," She murmured huskily, "But just one more thing will make me sure."
"Yeah?" He brought his head up, making her absurdly miss the feel of his mouth. He raised a devious eyebrow, "What?"
In response, she clamped her hand around the back of his head and swooped her lips hard on his, manipulating his mouth, kissing until they were both breathless.
"I'm sure," She huffed, "But we have to hurry, there's only a few minutes until my husband gets back."
"Funny Bones," Booth splayed the fingers of one hand over her stomach, relishing the feel of her silky skin.
"Shut up and kiss me," She ordered briskly.
"See, bossy," He obeyed promptly, using one arm to keep his weight from crushing her. The other hand roamed free. Tempe slipped her hands beneath his undershirt, rubbing the hard planes of his belly, then looped both arms around his neck, pulling him closer. Their lips dueled, both vying for dominance. Tempe found she was once again giving in to the overpowering sense of being absent from thought and could only feel, feel herself soaring and sinking at the same time. The blood vessels in Booth's head pounded as he lost himself in her.
"Daddy?" A little voice called from the doorway, "Daddy?"
Both were jerked out of their mutually created fog. Sighing heavily, and rolling off to the side of the bed, Booth said, "Yeah Parks?"
"Daddy," A little blonde head peaked over the side of the bed, "I had a bad dream," He clutched a worn and ragged teddy bear in his arms, "Can I sleep wit you?"
"Wouldn't you be more comfortable in your own bed?" Booth asked, lifting Parker up to sit in his lap. Parker buried his face in Booth's chest,
"Daddy, I wanna sleep wit you. You can 'care away the monsters. Please!" As Parker huddled closer, Booth looked over his son's head at Tempe, a questioning look on his face. She nodded, defeated.
"Okay buddy," Booth tipped Parker's head up to look into his little face, "But just this once. Okay?"
A bright smile now in place of the frown, Parker threw his little arms around his father, "Okay Daddy."
An apologetic look passed between the adults.